Watch Out for Flying Cows!
“This 21-acre preserve is completely forested, a remnant of
the extensive sandy pine plains which once stretched all the way to
Albany. The woods were once a part of the historic Schermerhorn
farm and are named for the two daughters of the family who once
lived in a house on the bluff. The old foundation can still be
seen.
Many wild flowers bloom on the north-facing slope on the
flat above, a magnificent pitch pine forest includes a tree, which
may be one of the oldest pitch pines in New York State.
Early travelers in Eastern New York mentioned the dense pine
woods that stretched from Ft. Orange (Albany) to the frontier
settlement of Schenectady (the name is translated as “beyond the
pines”). They spoke of the giant pines whose canopy hid the sky
from view until the Mohawk River “flats” were reached.
The sand foundation of this bluff was once the western delta
of the Iromohawk River (the ancestor of our present Mohawk), which
drained the Great Lakes when the St. Lawrence Valley was still
plugged with glacial ice 10,000 to 12,000 years ago.
The forest is an example of a mature woods in our area,
growing on sandy soil and undisturbed for many years by fire or
cutting. Younger examples of these pine forests can be seen in Amy
LeMaire Woods in Schenectady and the Pine Bush near
Albany.”
~ ~ ~Reprinted from information at sign-in stand located at
trailhead~ ~ ~
Welcome to another secret preserve in Schenectady
County!
These areas would do so much better if they were not so
hidden!
Look for the sign-in box and Nature Conservatory signs. This is
just a small loop trail that will probably have you trekking
approximately ½ mile, give or take.
What you see once past the gate.
Sign the logbook so that they know you have been here. This
helps with funding for these various projects if the need
arises.
One thing that is mentioned in the description at the top of
this cache-page is the foundation of the home the ladies lived in
at some time in the past. I think that the location of that
foundation is at: N42°49.046 W073°59.560 which can be seen from the
side of Valley View Avenue which runs up the side of the bluff. If
that is not it, then post your results and I will change the page
to reflect the change. Too bad it wasn’t on the preserve property
so we could all visit it!
What’s up with the cache title?
Have you ever seen the movie ‘Twister’ with Bill Paxton and
Helen Hunt? Well, once you start your trek, you may think that the
twister rampaged right through this area!! Trees are down all over
the place, laying this way and that way. Don’t worry, it isn’t like
this throughout the whole trail, just the approach to the
bluff.
When I visited here, besides the usual squirrels and chipmunks,
I saw a red squirrel and a herd/family of seven deer. I will make
the assumption that ticks will be here when it is warm, hence, the
tick attribute. Your GPS should not take you anywhere near the
railroad tracks that are on the West side of the property. If it
does, then don’t follow it! There is a fence between the tracks and
the preserve, but it can easily be crossed at various points.
From the parking area, face NW and look for the sign as seen
above. If you don't, then you may end up driving all over the place
like Geosliders did one evening as they tried to find out how to
get in to the preserve!!
Special cache-swag requests!
The basic theme of this cache is to bring in some piece of
technology that is no longer useful or useful to yourself and trade
it with something that is currently in the cache container. This
one started off with:
- Gamepad! Computer controller
- Computer program disks
- Microphone for computer
TB’s and Geocoins included:
- Humbug!
- Razel
- reserved for wood
- CRAZY FOR GEOCOINS
An unofficial nod to Wagonburner on this location. I found it
all on my own and knew nothing of his archived cache at this
location, but the descriptions for the cache are very similar. I
must be thinking more like an Indian than I thought!
Disclaimer: You, and all members of your party must read and
agree to the www.geocaching.com disclaimer. In addition, you all
must agree to hold the cache owner, www.geocaching.com, and the
land owners harmless from any and all causes for action. You and
all other members of your party must individually and collectively
determine your/their physical fitness and outdoors/hiking skill
levels, decide whether or not to visit the various cache locations,
and whether or not it is safe and prudent to do so under the
conditions that will be encountered. Cache seekers assume all risks
involved in seeking these cache locations.
Disclaimer: You, and all members of your party must read and
agree to the www.geocaching.com disclaimer. In addition, you all
must agree to hold the cache owner, www.geocaching.com, and the
land owners harmless from any and all causes for action. You and
all other members of your party must individually and collectively
determine your/their physical fitness and outdoors/hiking skill
levels, decide whether or not to visit the various cache locations,
and whether or not it is safe and prudent to do so under the
conditions that will be encountered. Cache seekers assume all risks
involved in seeking these cache locations.